JerryTodd

I've been considering mounting the winches on their sides in Macedonian.  With the drums flat, or horizontal, any slack can result in the braces binding, tangling, or slipping off the drum which shouldn't be an issue with the drum mounted on its side.  This may also make it easier to handle the course tacks as well, which I found to be pretty much impossible with "flat-drums."

Here's the first attempt to print the pivot gun.  I stopped it when I saw the gun had come loose and was becoming a blob.  (I was tempted to let it finish, to see how it would turn out, but that would be a waste of resin.)  There were definite issues with the end corner of the slide and the trucks of the carriage didn't come out at all, while the wrench and other details were perfect.  I went back into the model and tweeked some things; raised some details to print better, made the barrel attach better to the elevation wedge, and some little things I over-looked.

Two more tries weren't any better.  Both pulled loose of the supports and basically nothing printed, except the supports, which came out beautifully.

That odd shaped layer that looks like a base is the first few layers that are printed and are attached to the build plate that raises out of the resin vat as each layer is printed.  Each layer is printed in what is basically a contour map of the model.  If a part of the model, like say the fingers on a figures hand, start printing unconnected to a previously printed layer, there's nothing attaching them to the build plate to pull them up out of the resin; that's what the supports do, connect these otherwise floating bits, or "islands" to the rest of the model and/or the build plate.

My problem seems to be the supports, and how they connect to the model as it prints, aren't strong enough against the suction of the part in the bottom of the resin vat, and the model separates from the supports as it's lifted, so all I get is supports and no gun.

If I can get a handle on this, and get a full print, I can tell from that partial first try, it'll be a beauty of a model pivot gun.

Here's the model in the software that the supports are added in, and that slices it into the layers that are printed.  It's angle like that so it will fit into the space the printer has available, and the bottom of the pic is the end attached to the build plate, so it essentially prints upside down, mainly so liquid resin can escape from the bore of the gun.

The 3D model of the pivot gun is complete I think, I'll inspect it again to make sure.  Now to see if I can manage to print it in one piece.

I'm aiming for the ship in 1856, so the crew figures, especially the Marines, will look different than Civil War period figures would.  Think John Brown at Harpers Ferry time frame...

I'm just gonna have to learn to do 3D model figures.

Continuing to detail the pivot gun 3D model; all that's left is the elevation wedge and associated hardware.

The plans used are from the National Archives for a Pivot carriage for a 10" shell gun of 86 CWT for the US steam frigate Mississippi - June 23 1855. drawn in 1/10th scale, scanned and resized to 1:36 scale for Constellation.  (click the pics to see them full size)

The howitzer's pretty much done, I'm just revisiting some details and fixing some surfaces that were the wrong way out.

I started reworking my model of the 10" shell guns and their slides, correcting some things, fixing more backwards and missing surfaces, and mainly adding details; I want to print these in one piece if possible as they serve as handles for opening the hatches they're attached to.

I also started modeling the boarding steps but don't have anything I care to show yet, these things are oddly elusive, and also hard to find anything about online.

I modeled the boat sled and test printing it all find there's more work to do.  I left some details out of the model, for instance, since I was going to print the sled with the barrel attached, I didn't model a hole for the trunnion pin (my name for it).  The test print brought out some issues with printing, such as the elevation screw and wheel spokes not coming out.  Basically it's all about supports and the angle the model's in as it prints, all of which is still rather new to me.

Some details also need to be exaggerated a bit to show up at this size, like the supports on the ammo-box rail, and the iron plates under the nuts and the barrel supports.

Pretty much.  They got as big as 24 pounders, and down to 18 pounder, but launches in the 20-35 foot range carried the 12's.  Still it's a howitzer, and doesn't equate to say a 12pdr Napoleon light artillery piece.  This is meant mainly for lobbing case (shells) in high arc trajectories, almost like a mortar and doesn't have the power of a field piece.

Still, it lives in the bow of the launch with the field carriage in the stern sheets, so it's a visible item on the model and needs to be made.

A few more details left.  I put some color on it so it can compare to the real one in the prior post.  There's the boat sled to be made yet, and the fittings for the boat where the pivot pins go.

I think it's starting to come back to me...

Anyway, a couple of days into it and I've made a bit of progress.  It's not done yet

There's a lot of variation in these guns; wooden wheels, irons wheels, 8, 10, 12, and 16 spoke wheels, different style hubs, with and without a bronze rack for limber boxes, and so forth; so mine's got a little of all of them to some degree.  This is the actual gun I'm basing the model on, as it's the best pic of an original I've found. 

While the head decorations may elude me for the moment, the pin rail stanchions didn't seem so complicated to do in Anim8or, so after posting the last entry, I gave these a shot...

I output the file to STL format and printed 15 of them (I need 13)

I can't say I've done anything for myself in the past year.  Aside from purchasing a 3D printer and making some guns for Macedonian I haven't touched a model since Constellation's sailing in May 19.
When I can find the time (and energy) to focus on it, I'm trying to find and learn some CAD software enough to make files to print; figures, parts, fittings, decorations, etc. 

Some aren't too difficult but some feel like they're beyond my skills.  In the case of Constellation, the items I'd like to 3D print include, stanchions for the pin rails at the base of the masts, new pivot gun carriages with all the details included, binnacles, some 30 figures or so of 1850's sailors, Marines, and officers, fittings for the ships boats, maybe some shells for rigging blocks, and the decorative carvings on the bow.
Using some old free software I used to make WWI aircraft with for an old flight sim/game called Anim8tor, I've been tediously trying my hand at the bow carvings.  It's not going as I hoped which is why I'm trying to find software a bit more capable than this.  Anim8tor is also difficult to get files scaled correctly as it's not really meant for that purpose.

Trying to get closer to this... (click the pics to see them in detail)  Obviously, I have a long long way to go.

Macedonian's bow, stern, and quarter galleries, by comparison, are covered in carvings, filigree, columns, and the like, so getting the knack of this will go a long way in getting the details for that model moving forward as well.  A big selling point for this, besides getting such detail I'm not able to get otherwise, is the reproducibility of the parts.  These being operating models, there's always a risk of Macedonian's figurehead being knocked off and lost to some Rock Fish while sailing in the Chesapeake, and this way I can simply print another to replace it.

If anyone has gone through this process and has some advise to offer, I'd appreciate not having to reinvent the wheel. 

Sorry, I just saw you last post yesterday, and only now had time to sit and type something.
Since I used to be working on something from the same general time frame, I've found your log very interesting - I say used to be because I haven't had time to cut the grass much less work on anything for me.

When I do get to cut the grass, it'll be so far along that Green Peace will be out there protesting my destruction of the rain forest.

Anyway, I'd like to see your other projects

My models lower mast stay in place, the topmast, t'gallant, etc, are held up by fids just as the actually vessel was, and the rig collapses down

Addendum: how the topmasts are fidded on Constellation

Altered the 3D model of the Blomefield pattern 18 pounders; raised the ER cartouche relief a little so it's easier to see, and widened the trunions, but the still print a bit misshapen.

Again, back in May 19; all three models on display at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

She did go for a swim last May.  If work or this virus don't kill me, I hope to get the hull presentable this year; paint etc.  As I intend to have the gundeck detailed, there'll be more to her than Constellation, but with that experience, a little easier - I hope.

It's got all the banding it's supposed to have

58 minutes ago, Gregory said:

The cannon look really good.    No layering sometimes seen with  3D printing..  

It's there, but is much less pronounced with thinner layers and not being round like what comes from a nozzle.  It has a silk texture, like butterfly wings a bit like looking at a phonograph record at a low angle.

Since May the job has kept me away from my hobbies, or just too worn out to get anything done - I'm too old for this $#!+.

But it has allowed me to splurge a little on something for myself, in the form of a 3D printer.  I looked around for a long time, trying to make heads or  tails of all the constantly changing stuff out there.

I decided to go with a resin vat type because it offered better quality, more detailed prints than the filament types, and I'm not concerned with printing large items, but mostly parts for models.

I got an Elegoo Mars for under $250 on Amazon after a few weeks of research narrowing it down.  YouTube is chock full of reviews for this, and other printers of this type.

My first print on the machine were 9 more carronades from the file the original set I had printed in 2012 came from, supplied by Tim Bowman who also sent me files for the 18 pounder Blomefields, carriages, and slides.  You can't see the print in progress until near the end - and then only if it's a long enough item - to see how things are going, so it's a pretty nerve-racking process, especially the first time.  Even when they're done they're covered in resin, hiding any details.  After cleaning them in alcohol I was pleased as punch to find they were every bit as good as the 2012 prints.

The slides didn't come out as well.  One of the 6 I printed failed to release and looked like a Star Trek transporter accident, the other five were great on top, but the underside looked somewhat melted.  I can fix them, so they're usable, but I need to learn more to get them to come out right.

I built a wheel in 3D modeling software for a 4 foot RC schooner from scratch, but it's printing too thin to be of use, and it's underside isn't right, just like the carronade slides.  While I fiddle with getting this wheel right, I'm working on the 3D models for <i>Constellation's</i> trail-boards, and Mac's figurehead.

If you glass the hull, and resin it inside, you can build it of nearly anything you like, even cardboard.  I gave some thought to building an Essex class (actually Ticonderoga)  boat in 1:96 scale and if I hadn't come to my senses, I would have built the framing of 15/32" ply covered in 1/8" luan (doorskin), and wood strips for the rounded bits.  Covered all that with 4oz glass cloth and poly resin outside, and a couple of coats of just resin inside.

I build all my hulls this way, but a slab sided steel ship allows using sheet goods

How I build My Hulls

He's seen it in person Tim

As someone that's worked on these boats, you've done a beautiful job capturing one; albeit, a little cleaner than I remember

Beautiful!  Love the video too.  :)

Pride got out of the house and put on display at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Saturday, and at Baltimore's National Maritime Day Port Expo on Sunday.

Both events were slow, so I decided to get some pics of the model in the pool, when she started sailing along...

I rented a UHaul trailer to transport the model to the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum on Saturday and Baltimore's Maritime Day Port Expo on Sunday.

Visitor turn out wasn't very good at either event despite the great weather.

There wasn't good access to the Miles River for a model like Constellation, but I gave it a go none-the-less...  The wind was all over the place because of the docked boats, and it was tight between the piers, but she sailed.

At Baltimore it was very windy, so the models just stayed on the tables.